BEST DAY EVER!!!

 

WE HAD A BAPTISM!!

Ron, Kathy, Consuela and Armando

 

We have been teaching this couple for about two and a half months. They accepted the invitation for baptism early on, but Consuela was recovering from a terrible car accident that happened just two weeks before we met her and Armando. It's a miracle that she is standing. She didn't know if she'd have the use of her left leg after the accident. We see the hand of the Lord in every step of her recovery. They are really an amazing couple, so humble and teachable. These are two people that the Lord has been preparing to hear the Gospel. They have both overcome so many challenges in their lives. Satan tried to throw several hurdles up at them recently, but they kicked him in the face and jumped right over those hurdles like Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics! We love seeing how the Gospel can change lives.The Spirit is so strong every time we teach them in their home and the Spirit was amazing at their baptism. Even their non-member family members were feeling it and Consuela's sister asked to be taught by the missionaries. (Did I mention that Ron baptized them both?)  With the help of Elders Hawkins and Carlson, they got Consuela into the font safely. Man alive we love this Gospel! There is nothing like seeing the Atonement of Jesus Christ work in peoples lives.

"P-day" shopping trip

On Monday we took a trip into Garden City to do some bike shopping for Sister Mortensen. The Sisters and one set of Elders are sharing a car now, so on the off-week they have to ride their bikes. First we went to Target and she tried this bike out....

Then we went to WalMart and she found this beauty...

Pretty sweet, right?

 

Something we noticed while we were on our little excursion...we kept getting

these crazy looks from people...even the Mennonite's, who, c'mon really??

...But then we figured it out...

1. We're all wearing green shirts

                   2. We're all in skirts                    

3. We're Mormon's (wearing our nametags)

4. Three women and one man

hahahaha- You do the math!

And you thought the "P" in "P-day" was for Preparation!

 

Heart 'n' Soul

 

Every town needs a little heart-n-soul....

We come close.

Spida Man Spida Man

We have some of the nastiest bugs here in the Midwest. Probably nothing that other parts of the country don't have, but for some reason everything here is HUGE! Mosquito's...I wake up every morning with new mosquito bites. Flies...we literally unlock the front door, squeeze inside, and hurry and close the door behind us. There are tons of those little buggers. It's cow town, what d'ya expect? But the spiders...oh holey moley...they are HUGE! And I HATE 'em!

 My brave husband went after it for me...  I wanted to post the video we took of him killing  terminating it's life, but

for some reason, it won't post-but it's hysterical...so if you want to see the video, go to Ron's facebook page...I think I said "GIGANTIC" about 6 times in One minute and 17 seconds...go ahead and count. But here is the enormous web that baby produced. and it's catching lots and lots of bugs-without the spider thank you very much.       

 

P.S. He could produce no proof that the spider was actually dead. 

 

 

Big Day

It's transfer day...there are so many new missionaries coming in

and so many missionaries being transferred, that they had to rent a bus

to get them all where they need to be. Boy howdy am I ever so

glad Ron and I don't have to be transferred!

 

Cute Sister McQuay loves to "discretely" photo bomb...Hysterical.

 

 She and Sister Mortensen are in a companionship...they are so much fun!

 

 We got three new sister's in our zone! First ever Spanish speaking sisters.

They'll be serving in Liberal Kansas.

Sisters McKay (welcome back),  Nash, McQuay*, me*, Mortensen* & Torrez

*We ain't new...we is old.

 

 I LOVE MY COMPANION!

 

*****



A Liberal dose of training & Mail Shout-Outs!

...we had Zone Conference on Monday, then on Friday we had Zone Training down in Liberal Kansas...also known as the home of Dorothy Gale. Think Munchkins, Oz, flying monkeys.

Sisters Mortensen, McQuay & Williams

(These two are super funny)

 

After Zone training we all went to Gordita's To Go...

This is something that Sis. Mortensen ordered. I kinda want to hurl just looking at it.

It was a "pork" thing...made with pork fat ~ yes, pork fat. Two words: Nas Tee.

 

But it was fun getting together with all our Zone. Oh, we have a new Sr. Missionary

couple in our zone who are working down in Liberal. That's them on the far right.

 

*****

 

This is the wonderful Glover family in our ward....

They feed us missionaries (all 10 of us) about twice a month.

And I might add that it is always delish!

 

*****

Mail shout-outs and Gluten-Free hugs a mi hermanita, DeeDee! Gracias por

la deliciosa comida gluten gratis!

 

*****

 

 



Zone Conference

As any missionary knows, zone conferences are wonderful!   We get lots of good instruction, time with our mission president and encouragement to keep going and do our best.    Instruction is not limited to spiritual matters, though we are abundantly fed spiritually- we also learn about bike safety, apartment cleanliness, healthy eating, and tornado safety.   And this week we learned something new:  Yoga!  We were taught a few stretches, some breathing exercises and some advice on how yoga can be a great stress reliever.  Here we are in action!  

 

We nicknamed this move the windmill, which we have in abundance here in Western Kansas:    

 

This we call the YMCA: 

 

 

This one we like to call "O Brother Where Art Thou?" :

 

Some of us took it more seriously than others..... yeah...not really.

NOTE TO SELF:

In the future when slicing up peaches to make peaches & cream for hubby, wear glasses, so as not to mistake the little brown worm just waking from his nectar-induced coma for a ripe part of the peach. (ew).

***

Mail shout-outs and Gluten-free thanks go to Holly Wiersma for sending us a note to put a Hallmark smile on our faces, and to Becki B. for yet another work of art in an envelope! We love you both!

Who Doesn't Love a Puppy?

Last night the Smith family had all the missionaries over for dinner. Ten of us, plus two more S.T.L.'s who are visiting from Wichita. The Smith's foster animals...lot's of them...so there is always something at their house for you to pet. Right now they have a mama dog and her 5 puppies and a brand new baby kitty who doesn't have its eyes open yet.

 

Sisters Mortensen, McQuay, Williams, Christenot & McKay

Everyone got to hold a puppy, or "poopy", as Elder Garza (who is from Mexico)

calls them. This is E. Page... E. Garza is the next one over.

 

Cute little baby kitty had to be fed with an eye dropper.

 

Sister Smith fed us Milanesa(<sp?) An Argentine meat dish.

Kinda tasted like chicken fried steak, and they put lemon juice on it.

The guy at the back of the table without a white shirt is the Smith's son.

from left: Sisters Christenot, McKay, Mortensen, McQuay, Elders Hawkins,

DeLeon, Douglas Smith, Rodriguez, Inzunza, Garza, Page (love the face)

and Elder Williams. I'm taking the picture : )

 

 

Before & After

Remember Lake Wannabe last April?

Here it is now, in August.

 

And remember our neighbor's garden that Ron helped to start last May?



Cute little Garcia family 

 

This is it now. Corn as high as an elephants eye, tons of peppers,

cantaloupes and cucumbers...

Craziest thing, they are standing next to some mammoth tomato plants

that have a ton of flowers on them but not one tomato. :(